Bearing and seal



Feb. 3,1942.' v B, A, B'ENSQN 'l V2,272,0-29- BEARING AND SEAL lFiledAug. 27, 1958 ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I Bernhari: assi'gnorto Chicago Electric Manufacturing Company, Chicago, lll., a corporationo! Illinois Application August 27, 1938, Serial No. 227,053

6 Claims. (Cl. 30S-36.1)

tial that the washing zone be kept free fromcontamination by dirt ordebris, and to this end the associated moving parts should be soarranged and shielded as to prevent ingress to the washing zone of anylubricant employed therein.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a simpleand eicient sealing means i'or enclosing the operative drive mechanismin a washing machine, as above, which will eiiectually preventcommunication between the contents thereof and the adjacent portions ofthe washing machine.

The present invention yet more particularly is concerned with a washingmachine of the type wherein the drive motor and the transmissionmechanism are mounted on the cover and prei'- erably centrally thereof,and provides a driving connection with an agitator arranged therebelowin the washing zone. closed more particularly in my copendingapplications, Serial Nos. 175,450, led November 19, 1937, and 201,947,iiled April 14, 1938, of which applications the present is acontinuation in part.

It will be apparent that in structures of this type there is a denitetendency for grime or residuum to pass downwardly through the drivemechanism and thus pass directly into the washing zone. It is a furtherobject of the present invention, therefore, to provide a washing deviceof the above type wherein the driving means is mounted on the upperportion of the machine and over the washing zone, but wherein thedriving mechanism is encased and sealed against passage of contaminatingmatter in a downward direction.

Yet another'object of the present invention is to provide a washingmachine, as above, wherein the present invention will 'become moreapparent throughout the progress ,of the following speci` cation, whentaken in connection with the- 8.6--A companying drawing. wherein:

Such a machine is'dls- Figure 1 is a detail plan view of a bearing sealconstruction shown in operative position on a washing machine. v f

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the .line 6--5 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the sealing diaphragms and holdingring shown in Figure 2,

the parts being disclosed in disassembled relationship.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken centrally through a modifiedform of the bearing seal.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a perspective yview of the sealing member shown in Figure 5.I

Figure 8,is a perspective view of the retaining ring shown in Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein one embodiment ofthe invention is disclosed in detail, Figures 1 to 4 show a bearing andsealing assembly such as may be utilized, for example, on a washingmachine drive unit 24.

The bearing and sealing assembly 5I consists of a supporting plate 58extending between spacer blocks 52, this plate terminating in theaforementioned supporting flanges 56 but being displaced downwardly fromthe plane of said anges by downwardly extending, inclined wall portions60. 'I'he plate may be rigidied by'ribs or channel shaped depressions62, stamped or otherwise formed therein. Centrally the plate 58 isdeformed downwardly, as at 64, in a plurality of conical steps orflanges terminating in a central aperture or perforation. A bearing 66for the shaft 50 is mounted in the recess thus formed, its end beingforced through the central aperture and thus ilrmly engaged by thesurrounding axially inclined ange. I

A retaining plate S8, centrally apertured and provided with an annularlyand upwardly extending ange l0, is mounted on top of the plate 58, asshown in Fig. 2, so that the upper edge of the flange i0 firmly engagesthe bearing $5 adjacent its upper end. *The retaining plate is in turnretained upon the supporting plate 5l through the agency of struck-outportions i2 formed over and clampingly engaging opposite ends of theformer plate.

An oil-retaining felt or washer 'Il may be positioned within the spacebetween the plate 5I and the downwardly deformed portion 6I of the lowerplate. So, also, the peripheral portion of the flange 10 is deformedinwardly in a recess in the bearing 66, as at 16, to interlock the partsagainst relative rotation.

In order to provide the bearing 66'with an adequate supply of lubricantat all times, a fibrous washer or mat 'I8 embraces the shaft and bearingjust above the plate 68 (Fig. 2), being retained firmly in position by acap or casing 8|). The cap or casing 80 has a peripheral flange or foot82 which resides against the supporting plate 58, but it should -benoted that opposed portions of said flange are separated therefrom andformed downwardly, as at 84, so that they extend through the aperturesprovided by the struck-out members 12 and clampingly engage the covermember 80 in the operative position shown. Opposed flanges 86, formed oneither side of the main supporting plate 58, further embrace the cap.

A pair of shaft sealing members 88 are positioned just below the bearingassembly and retained in place against the plate 46 by means of acylindrical ring 90.

In accordance with the present invention the sealing disks or diaphragms88 are of resilient material, such as rubber, although it is to bepreferred that the resilient material employed be resistant to theparticular lubricant employed. For example, in situations where ordinarylubricating oil is employed the members 88 may comprise Duprene or thelike. As shown clearly in Fig. '1 the disks or diaphragms 88 areprovided centrally with an aperture substantially smaller than the shaft50 and arranged in a central portion which is caused by application ofthe shaft to the hole, to provide wall surfaces residing in a conicalplane. Attention is particularly directed to the fact that the clampingor retaining ring 98 not only holds the disks 88 securely against thesupporting wall or plate 46, but that this ring is in turn centered withrespect to the assembly through the agency of the downwardly deformedportions 64 of the plate 58. Moreover, it should be particularly notedthat the lower portion of the bearing 66 is arranged below the loweredge of the ring 90 and accordingly tends to maintain at all times thecentral conical configuration of the disks 88.

It will be obvious from this disclosure that the shaft 50 is duringoperation supplied with adequate lubrication, but at the same time issealed by the tight engagement of the laminated disks.

As shown in Figures 5-8, a modified form of bearing seal may, forexample, be used on the lower surface of Va transmission casing. thelower wall of the housing shown may be provided with a cylindricalsleeve 94, Figure 5, in which is rigidly mounted an antifriction bearingsleeve 9S, rotatably supporting a drive shaft 98. It will be understoodthat the transmission casing houses a suitable mechanism for modifyingand transforming the mechanical energy of a motor to an oscillating orother movement for actuation of an agitator. This transmission, thedetails of which form no part of the present invention, drives the shaft98 through the agency of a pinion |00 mounted thereon. In accordancewith the present invention, however, the interior of the housing isprovided with a permanent supply of lubricant sealed therein so thatreplacement will A tending disk-like flange |06. rI'he lower end of thesleeve 94 is enlarged, as at |08, to provide a central shoulder |||I,and the peripheral flange |86 and sealing member is locked against theshoulder by means of a disk-shaped retaining or locking member ||2(Figs. 5 and 8).

The retaining member |2 is, during' assembly. forced into and upon thelower end of thev en' larged portion |88 of the housing to the positionshown in Fig. 5, and locked in place by peening over the adjacentportions of the housing, as at ||4, by means of a sharpened instrument,such as a chisel. Relative rotation between the sealing member |02 andthe casing is positively prevented by depressing or deforming theretaining member ||2 at spaced points, as indicated by the referencenumeral ||6 in Figs. 5 and 6.

Attention is specifically directed to the fact that the conical portionof the sealing member |02 is so configurated that the central aperturetherein is substantially smaller than the diameter of the shaft 98 sothat no clearance is afforded for the passage of lubricant along theshaft. It will be understood that the sealing member |02 may be formedfrom any suitable elastic, resilient material, capable of resilientlyand tightly engaging the shaft without creating substantial frictionalresistance.

The present invention provides a simple structure for sealing thetransmission of a washing machine, and particularly a. machine of theherein described type, while providing adequate lubrication for all ofthe bearing portions and without necessitating replacement or renewal oflubricant. In the above embodiment the lubricant is retained, forexample, within the transmission casing, even though shafts passvertically through both the upper and lower walls thereof.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of theseveral parts without departing from the spirit of the invention orsacrificing any of its attendant advantages, and the right is herebyreserved to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of thefollowing claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. The combination of a bearing and sealing assembly for a washingmachine and the like and adapted to seal a wall having a shaft extendingthrough an aperture in said wall, said bearing and sealing assemblycomprising a normally flat, elastic sheet member having an aperturetherein of smaller diameter than the shaft and transversely engaging theshaft, said shaft passing through said aperture and having a diametersubstantially larger than the diameter of the aperture whereby the sheetis elastically distended to grip the shaft with a predetermined, elastictension', said sheet elastic member having an axially extending,generally conical portion about said shaft extending into said firstnamed aperture in the wall, the bearing being arranged in the vicinityof the plane of said wall and extending into engagement with saidconical portion whereby to retain said conical configuration at alltimes.

2. The combination of a bearing and sealing asscmbly for a washingmachine and the like and adapted to seal a wall having a sh'aftextending through an aperture in said wall, said bearing and sealingassembly comprising an elastic sheet member having an aperture thereinof smaller diameter than the shaft and transversely engaging the shaft,said shaft passing through said aperture and having a diametersubstantially larger than the diameter of the aperture whereby the sheetis elastically distended to grip the shaft with a predetermined, elastictension, said sheet elastic member having an axially extending,generally conical portion about said shaft extending into said rst namedaperture in the wall, the bearing being arranged in the vicinity of theplane of said wall and extending into engagement with said conicalportion whereby to retain said conical configuration at all times.

3. The combination of a bearing and sealing assembly for a washingmachine and th'e like and adapted to seal a housing having an operatingshaft extending through said housing. said bearing and sealing assemblycomprising an elastic member having an aperture therein of smallerdiameter than the shaft, means disposing said elastic member in aposition transversely embracing said shaft with said shaft passingthrough th'e aperture and havingv a diameter substantially larger thanthe aperture, whereby the elastic member is distended to grip the shaftwith a predetermined tension', and a shaft bearing axially embracing theshaft adjacent said elastic member providing a chamber communicatingwith the opposite extremity of said bearing and supplied with lubricantretaining means.

6. A combination as dened in claim 3, wherein said b'earing isoperatively mounted upon a bridging member disposed in spaced relationto said elastic member and wherein means is interposed between saidbridging member and said elastic member to hold said latter member inoperative position.

BERNHART A. BENSON.

